Ditching-machine



Sheet 1.

2 Sheets (No Model.)

F. X. LEMAY. DITGHING MACHINE.

W Misses 6. JNM,

N. Psrzns Pham-ummm. washington. D. c;

(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. X. LEMAY. DITGHING MACHINE.

No. 330,909. Patenrted, NOV. 24, 1885.

N Pneus Phmumomphur. wnsmngum n. c.

Barnim einen.

FRANQOIS XAVIER LEMAY, OF CBOOKSTON, MINNESOTA.

DlTCHlNG- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,909, dated November 24, 1885.

Application filed June 17, 1885. Serial No. 168,990. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs XAVIER LE- MAY, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Crookston, in the county of Polk and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditehing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ditching-machines; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter shown and described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view,of the machine complete. Fig. 3 is a detached detail of the moldboard-adjusting mechanism. Fig. 4. is a eross-sectional view on the line a: x ofFig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspeetive view of the mold-board detached. Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the mold-board-adjusting mechanism, showing more fully the man ner of its operation. Figs. 8 and'9 are enlarged details of sections of the conveyers.

A represents a boiler mounted upon wheels A?, and having an engine, A3, upon its top, being an ordinary portable engine and boiler, such as are used in running thrashing-machines, &e.

Any of the many well-known forms of such portable engines and boilers may be employed; but the engine should be of asize sufficient to develop about twelve horse-power when run at tivo hundred revolutions per minute.

Attached to the boiler A,or to therunninggear of its supporting-wheels'A2, is a long frame, A4, extending beyond the boiler at each end, and having two shafts, B B2, journaled across it in the rear of the boiler, as shown. The shaft B has fast to it a chain-wheel, B3, over which a chain, a', leads from a chain-pinion, A, on the engine-shaft, as shown, and on the saine shaft, B', alongside the wheel B3, is a chain-pinion, Bt, from which a chain, a2, leads to a chain-wheel, B?, on the shaft B2. The shaft B2 is provided with a roller or drum, B6, the drum being loose upon the shaft, and adapted to be connected with or disconnected from the shaft by a clutch, b. A cable, c, will be attached by one end to the drum B6, and led forward and secured to an anchor, l?, at any point on the line of the ditch, usually about three hundred or four hundred feet ahead. The engine running at a speed of two hundred revolutions per minute, and the pinions A5 and B4 being each six inches in diameter, and the wheels B3 and B5 being each three feet in diameter, the shaft B2 will revolve a little over five revolutions per minute, andthe drum B6 being one foot in diameter will wind up the rope and draw the boiler and engine and their attachments ahead about sixteen feet per minute, which is about as fast as the ditcher can be operated satisfactorily. I do not wish to be confined to this speed, however, as it may be varied as required. Neither do I wish to be confined to the arrangement and size of the gearing above described, asI am aware that any well-known mechanism may be used.

When the machine has been drawn by the rope up to the anchor l? before mentioned, the clutch B will be opened, which will allow the drum B6 to be turned backward and the rope unwound therefrom, and the anchor set at a new point, and so on throughout the length of the ditch.

D is a scoop or mold-board formed of sheet-steel, and conforming in cross-section to the ditch to be cut. Usually the ditch will be formed about two feet across the bottom and siX feet across the top, and three feet deep, and with slanting sides connecting the top and bottom, but this form and these dimensions may be varied when desired.

E represents a triangular frame, suitably braced, and pivoted by one lower edge to the end of the frame Ai, and pivoted by the other lower edge to the upper forward corners of the mold-board D, While across its upper end is journaled a shaft, E2, having two oppositelybent cranks, E3 E4, as shown. On ene end of the shaft E2, outside the'frame E, is a chainwheel, E5, adapted to b e driven by a chain, a3, from a chain-wheel, E, on the shaft B', the two wheels FPE6 being the same size, so that the speed of the shafts El will be the same as the shaft B, (in the construction shown about thirty-three revolutions per minute.)

Across the rear upper corners of the moldboard D is journaled a shaft, FQ on which are secured two pinions,d, adapted to engagewith corresponding racks, d2, on bars F2 F3, which lead backward and are pivoted to the frame A4, as shown. On one end of the shaft F is a wheel, Ft, provided with teeth in its rim, in

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which a spring-pawl, e', on a lever, F5, pivoted on the shaft F', is adapted to catch. The wheel F2 is also provided with a catch-pawl, e2, .whereby the shaft may be held at any desired point, as shown in Fig. 3. By means of this lever F5 and its action on the shaft F the latter may be revolved in either direction, and the pinions d', acting on the rack-bars F2 F2, draw the rear end of the mold-board D nearer to or farther away from the frame A4. If the shaft F be revolved to the left, the rear of the mold-board will be drawn nearerto the frame A4, and thus elevate the rear end of the moldboard and cause its nose g to point downward at a greater' angle to the surface of the ground, and thus cause the moldboard to cut deeper into the ground. (See Fig. 6.) Then if the shaft F be revolved to the right, the rear of the mold-board will be moved away from the frame A4 and depress the rear end of the mold-board and cause its nose g to be elevated and run at a less angle to the surface of the ground, thus enabling the operator to easily and quickly alter the depth of cut of the moldboard. By revolving the shaft F far enough to the right to cause the nose g of the moldboard to point upward at an angle to the surface of the ground, the mold-board will run out of the ground, so that the ditcher may be easily removed from the ground when desired. (See Fig. 7.) The lower or bottom portion of the mold-board is formed with an angle in it, the forward portion, h, adapted to run in a nearly horizontal line, or nearly parallel with the surface of the ground, while the rear edge of the rear portion, h2, is about ten inches from the bottom of the ditch.

Across the upper part of the sides of the mold-board D is secured a bar, D2, against which the rear surfaces of two spades, G G2, are adapted to move when raised and lowered by the revolutions of the cranks E5 EL in the shaft E2, to one of which cranks each of the spades G G2 is connected by connecting rods or bars G3 Gt. Across the mold-board D, between its rear corners, is secured another bar, D2, similar to and parallel with the bar D2.

D4 D5 are two small bars, each adapted to 5 be held against yone of the spades G G2 by springs t', to hold the spades pressed against the bar D2. By this means the points of the spades will be drawn upward and thrust downward inside the mold-board, the cutting-edges of each of the spades moving downward into the mold-board and backward toward its rear edges and then upward again, each spade thus cutting off a slice of the soil within the moldboard and pressing said cut-off slice backward toward the rear of the mold-board, each spade acting in alternation and between the bars D2, D5, and D2. These bars D4 D5 D2 perform two functions-viz., they serve as afulcrum to the lever-like movement of the spades, and also serve as scrapers to remove any adhering earth from the spades.

G5 is a. sharp-edged wheel, similar to the rolling colter of a plow7 set on a shaft on the center of the lower part of the frame E, and adapted to cut a crease down into the soil in advance of the mold-board, to assist the spades G G2 in their work. J ournaled across beneath the rear edge of the mold-board is ashaft, H', carrying chain-pinions on` both its ends, over which chains' m m run to similar chain-pinions on the ends of a shaft, H2, the two shafts H H2 being connected by side bars, H4, and the latter connected to a frame, H5, mounted on wheels H5, by which it runs on the surface of the ground. The chains m are connected by cross-slats m3, and over the cross-slats is an endless canvas belt, m4, the whole forming a conveyer adapted to receive the earth from the mold-board and convey' it backward and upward and deliver it over its rear edge upon another similar conveyer-belt, N, at right angles to the belt m2, the latter being suitably mounted by chains, shafts, Ste., in the frame H5, and adapted to be revolved by shafting L L2, gears L3 L2, and chains L5 from the shaft H2.

Journaled outside of the rear edges of the mold-board D on each side are two shafts, H6 H2, carrying chain-pinions on their ends,over which chains run, the chains being connected by slats m5, and the slats being covered with endless canvas belts m m5 similar to the other belts, the three belts m4 m5 m5 forming a constantly moving trough shaped conveyer. The lower ends of the slats m2 project down between the slats m5 of the lower belt, m2, so that the slats m5 will carry the slats m7 along with them, and thus transmit the motion IOO of the lower belt to the side belts, so that they V will all move together. By this means the earth after being Vcut loose by the combined action of the spades and mold-board will be conveyed backward and upward and off to one side by the conveyers, and delivered alongside the ditch. An additional belt or a chute may be attached to or connected with the belt N, so that the earth may be conveyed to a greater distance from the edge of the ditch, or dumped into a car or wagon.

The cuttingedges of the spades will be formed with serrations or teeth, so that the cutting-edges do not all act at once, but a little at atime, to render the action more easy, and requiring less power to force them into the soil.

The anchor above mentioned is formed of a frame, P, having blades P projecting downward and backward toward the ditcher,so that the strains of the cable C will sink the blades into the soil and prevent the anchor from being drawn toward the ditcher.

I am aware that in ditching-machines rising and falling spades have been used in connec tion with a mold-board, said spades having a backward movement to throw the earth into such mold-board, but in such previous machines the spades have been arranged to cut the earth in advance ofthe mold-board,where as in my machine the spades cut within the mold-board. By this latter arrangement the earth is cut off sharply and exactly, leaving IIO IZO

and smooth.

I claim as my inventionl. In a ditchingmachine, a scoop or moldboard adapted to be drawn through the ground, in combination with one or more rising and falling spades which cut the soil within said scoop, and have a backward movement within the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of frame A, carrying the motive power of the ditcher, and adapted to be moved in theline of the ditch in advance of the cutting apparatus, a scoop or moldboard, D', connected to said frame A4 by a triangular frame, E, and having a shaft, F', carrying pinions d d2, journaled thereon, rack bar or bars F2 F3, connecting said pinions with said frame A4, shaft E2, having cranks E3 E4, spades G G2, connected to said cranks by rods G3 G3, means for revolving said shaft E2 to operate said spades, and means for revolving said shaft F to regulate the pitch of said mold-board D', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

the sides and bottom of the ditch clean cut 3. In a ditching-machine, a scoop or moldboard, D', adapted to be drawn through the ground, in combination with one or more rising'and falling spades, G G2, adapted to cut the soil within or in advance of said moldboard,and a cutting-wheel or colter, G5, adapted to cut the soil in advance of said spades and mold-board, substantially as set forth.

4. In a ditching-machine, a scoop or moldboard, D, adapted to be drawn through the ground, in combination with one or more rising and falling spades, G G2, within or in advance of said mold-board, and revolving endless conveyer-belts m4 m5 m N, adapted to receive the loosened soil from said mold-board, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANQOIS XAVIER LEMAY.

Witnesses:

N EL LEMAY, C. N. WooDwARLD. 

